This invention relates to an automatic food cooking machine.
Automatic food cooking machines are generally well known in the art. In general, automatic food cooking machines use a conveyor system that slowly transports the food to be-cooked over a heat source. Under regulations promulgated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the food products must be loaded and unloaded at separate locations by separate personnel. Additionally, USDA regulations require that the food must be protected from direct exposure to the heat source.
Many automatic cooking machines are known in the art that comply with USDA regulations. For example, my previous automatic cooker includes a continuous conveyor that allows the food to make more than one pass over the heat source, thereby allowing a longer cooking time. For a more complete discussion of automatic food cooking machines, see my U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,741. During the cooking process a certain amount of grease, drippings, and other debris falls from the cooking food. If such items come into contact with the heat source the cooking process may be interrupted. For example, cookers typically use gas jets as the heat source, and if the jets become clogged the flame may go out or flare up, thus increasing smoke and/or reducing efficiency. Therefore, the heat source must be protected from the drippings.
One approach in the past has been to provide a continuous plate located between the heat source and the food products. The plate is heated by the heat source, such as gas jets, and the food is thus cooked by radiant heat. The plate also serves to protect the heat source and collect the drippings. However, the drippings drop onto the hot plate, which tends to create more smoke.
The present invention eliminates the problem discussed above by placing an angled deflector shield over the heating source. The angled deflector shield performs several functions. First, by virtue of its placement over the heating source, the deflector shield is heated by the gas jets and thus serves to cook the food by radiating heat. Secondly, convective heat is directed by the edges of the deflector shield and also serves to cook the food products. Finally, the drippings that have been deflected can be collected below the heat source, which thereby significantly reduces the amount of smoke.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an automatic food cooker in which the heating source is protected from food drippings.
It is another object of this invention to provide an automatic food cooker that includes a shield for the heating source that allows cooking by radiant as well as convective heat.
A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic food cooker that collects food drippings at a point below the heat source.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an automatic food cooker that produces less smoke.
Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description taken with the accompanying drawings.